UniFirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF) Given Consensus Rating of “Reduce” by Analysts

Shares of UniFirst Corporation (NYSE:UNF) have earned an average recommendation of “Reduce” from the five brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation and four have issued a hold recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $228.25.

UNF has been the subject of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird set a $198.00 price target on UniFirst in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research raised UniFirst from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Barclays boosted their price objective on UniFirst from $250.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of UniFirst from $206.00 to $260.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of UniFirst in a report on Wednesday, January 21st.

Key Stories Impacting UniFirst

Here are the key news stories impacting UniFirst this week:

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target sharply to $260 (from $206), providing a fresh catalyst and supporting investor sentiment despite a “neutral” rating. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Top-line beat: UniFirst reported revenue of roughly $622.5M vs. consensus ~$614.9M (revenue +3.4% YoY), which investors viewed as a sign of continued demand resilience. UniFirst Announces Financial Results for the Second Quarter of Fiscal 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Wider media and roundup coverage summarized the quarter and market reaction (local and financial press). These pieces amplify awareness but add no new financial surprises. UniFirst: Fiscal Q2 Earnings Snapshot UniFirst Towers on Q2 Numbers UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) surprises with Q1 CY2026 sales
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst previews and forecast updates were circulating ahead of and after the print; these roundups (e.g., Benzinga) helped set expectations but were not decisive by themselves. Analyst Forecast Changes
• Negative Sentiment: EPS missed consensus: management reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter versus the ~ $1.21 street estimate (and below last year’s $1.31), highlighting margin pressure; this is the main negative driver in the print. View Press Release

UniFirst Trading Up 0.7%

UNF opened at $256.39 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $239.68 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $197.49. The company has a market capitalization of $4.63 billion, a PE ratio of 34.74 and a beta of 0.66. UniFirst has a 1-year low of $147.66 and a 1-year high of $283.77.

UniFirst (NYSE:UNF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 1st. The textile maker reported $1.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.21 by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $622.51 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $614.91 million. UniFirst had a net margin of 5.49% and a return on equity of 6.49%. The company’s revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.31 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that UniFirst will post 7.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

UniFirst Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th were paid a dividend of $0.365 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.6%. UniFirst’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.31%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other UniFirst news, VP David Martin Katz sold 1,464 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $237.54, for a total transaction of $347,758.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 6,461 shares in the company, valued at $1,534,745.94. This trade represents a 18.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.86% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On UniFirst

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its stake in UniFirst by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 6,876 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $1,326,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its stake in UniFirst by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,204 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $201,000 after acquiring an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Amalgamated Bank boosted its holdings in shares of UniFirst by 1.7% in the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 4,359 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $729,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of UniFirst by 2.0% in the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 4,027 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $758,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares during the period. Finally, Panagora Asset Management Inc. grew its stake in UniFirst by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 6,238 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $1,203,000 after purchasing an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.17% of the company’s stock.

About UniFirst

UniFirst Corporation (NYSE: UNF) is a leading provider of customized uniform rental and facility service programs in North America and Europe. The company specializes in the rental, laundering and maintenance of workwear, corporate apparel and protective garments for a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, automotive, hospitality, healthcare and food processing. UniFirst also offers a suite of facility service products such as entrance mats, restroom supplies, wipers, mops and hygienic services designed to help customers maintain clean and safe environments.

In addition to its core uniform rental business, UniFirst has expanded its product portfolio to include safety and first-responder gear, flame-resistant clothing, high-visibility apparel and personal protective equipment (PPE).